The present invention includes apparatus and methods for removing pollutants, contaminants, and particulates from the exhaust port of a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. More particularly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a pollution abatement system that is designed to collect smog from the exhaust system of a diesel truck and to store and recycle the carbon black collected by the system.
Each year combustion and other industrial sources emit millions of pounds of pollution into the environment. A substantial portion of the pollution discharged into our atmosphere comprises suspended particles called particulates. These contaminants are not chemically bound to the air, but are floating free in the atmosphere. Several attempts to solve this problem, including passive filter systems and active scrubbers, have met with disparate levels of success. None of the conventional systems provides an inexpensive yet effective system for removing particulates from the air. In addition to the detrimental effects of releasing millions of pounds of harmful particulates into the environment, these airborne effluents also constitute a needlessly wasted resource. A large portion of the solid emissions from diesel trucks are carbon particulates, which could be captured and recycled.
Several previous inventions have been employed to collect dust from air streams. John Taylor describes a Centrifugal Dust Separator in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,854. Taylor's separator differs from the present invention because Taylor does not disclose, teach, or even suggest the use of his device in combination with the exhaust of an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle. Even if Taylor did suggest such a combination, his apparatus relies on centrifugal separation, unlike the present invention, which utilizes an air cyclone accelerator to remove particulates from exhaust gases. Taylor also requires the use of a high speed coaxial impeller to drive his device, which is completely unnecessary in the Barry invention.
Parmentier discloses an Apparatus for the Removal of Vapors and Vapor Products in their U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,520. This device is totally dissimilar to the Barry Smog and Particulate Collection System. Parmentier's invention is intended for use as a vapor condensing hood which is placed over appliances that are employed to cook food products. An external refrigeration system continuously cools a cooking steam exhaust which is forced over cooled walls by an extraction turbine fan. Parmentier is clearly not designed to be coupled to the exhaust of a diesel truck engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,401, issued to Cordes, reveals Cyclones to Lessen Fouling. This patent describes an invention which is entirely unrelated to motor vehicles. The narrow design focus of this implement is the prevention of cyclone fouling during the industrial process of fluidized iron ore reduction. Cordes' system is specifically built to process sticky chemicals and solids that tend to cohere together. The primary inventive aspects of this machine concern an optimized barrel length for the cyclone and the use of a rotating shaft which terminates in upper and lower fin sections.
Edward Klomp explains his Vortex Sulfuric Acid Separator in U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,883. Although Klomp does indicate that his invention could be connected to an automobile, his invention does not pertain to the removal of particulates from exhaust gases. This patent involves cooling a stream of gas to condense and remove sulfuric acid. Unlike the Barry Smog & Particulate Collection System, Klomp does not employ an air cyclone accelerator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,858 by Walker teaches the construction of an Engine Emission Control Device. Walker, like Klomp, suggests the use of his invention with an automobile engine, but Walker's system requires a complex arrangement of polyurethane foam filtering material that is flushed with hot lubricating oil that is pumped from the engine crankcase.
Lagerstedt et al. disclose an Arrangement for the Separation of Particles in their U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,068. This patent employs a helical guiding element and radially-notched collar having drop forming elements and tongues that remove water and sterilizing agents like hydrogen peroxide from an air stream. Lagerstedt's apparatus is designed for use with packing machines that manufacture aseptic non-returnable packages for heat-treated, liquid foodstuffs such as milk. This invention does not pertain to internal combustion engines.
A Process and Apparatus for Separation Particulate Matter from a Gaseous Medium is described by Baillie et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,410. This patent describes composite conical-cylindrical walls which define a swirl-inducing zone for separating contaminants from a gaseous medium. Baillie does not disclose an air cyclone accelerator, nor does he suggest the use of his invention with an internal combustion engine.
None of the earlier patented devices described above are designed to collect particulates so they can be recycled. The essence of the present invention is to both remove particulates from exhaust gases emitted from internal combustion vehicles, while also providing a simple and cost-effective system for reusing the carbon-black which is collected during the cleaning process.
The shortcomings of previous air cleaning devices has presented a major challenge to engineers and scientists in the transportation industry. The development of a highly reliable yet effective system that purifies motor vehicle exhaust fumes would constitute a major technological advance. The enhanced performance that could be achieved using such an innovative device would satisfy a long felt need within the motor vehicle business.